London Fog Bath Soak

So many of us suffer from itchy, dry skin in the colder months.  Trying to sooth your skin with store bought milk and oatmeal baths can get a wee bit pricey if you use them every time you bathe.  Well, friend, it's incredibly easy to make your own, FAR less expensive then buying them and completely flexible so you can create a mixture to suit your own needs.
People have been doing this for ages.  We just get so used to 'buying' things that we don't even think about making them at home. We see them in the stores and it sticks in our brains that if we want to use a product like that, we have to purchase it... not true!  And yes, I say 'we' because I am absolutely including myself in that statement.  But no more!

Below I'm sharing my London Fog Bath Soak recipe containing oatmeal, baking soda and powdered milk.

• The oatmeal helps sooth dryness, itchiness, has natural cleansing properties and helps soften and moisturize your skin.  
• Baking soda also has a skin softening effect, relieves dry irritated skin and leaves the water feeling quite silky and indulgent.
• The fats and proteins in the milk contribute to leaving your skin soft and supple and helps exfoliate dead skin cells, improving the feel and glow of skin.
• The earl grey tea leaves were added for a pleasing aroma.

You can have this mixed and completed in approximately 5 minutes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled outs
1 cup baking soda
2 cups powdered milk / soy milk
3-4 Tbsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea

Using a coffee grinder (blender / food processor is fine too), grind the oats until they are powder fine.  It doesn't matter if they are quick cook oats or traditional.  Just be sure there are no additives (do not use instant flavoured oatmeal packets).

Combine ground oats with the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.  I left the Earl Grey tea whole for a bit of a spa feel when added to the bath, but you could grind the tea as well so it easily blends into the mixture.

Add about 1 cup of the mixture to a warm bath, mix around with your hand or foot.  All that's left to do is immerse yourself in this soothing, aromatic soak for 15-20 minutes.  When finished, pat skin dry with a towel, do not rub.  If you prefer, you can also rinse yourself under the shower before drying your skin, but it is not necessary.

That's it! 

Find an inexpensive, pretty teacup from a thrift store, or a lonely one from your own collection, put a sachet of this mixture inside, add a label, some pretty ribbon and you've got a super cute and thoughtful gift for a lucky person in your life!